Bevil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Bevil family

The surname Bevil was first found in Cornwall where conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Gwarnock, held by the Sir de Beville from the Earl of Moron, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. 1

"The Bevills, sprung probably from the Norman [(William the Conqueror)] of Hastings, were seated in Cornwall. Matilda daughter and co-heir of John Bevill, Esq. of Gwarnock, married Sir Richard Granville, of Buckland, Marshal of Calais, temp. Henry VIII., and had a son, Sir Richard Granville, a famous sea captain in the time of Elizabeth, whose grandson was the renowned Sir Bevill Granville, one of the boldest and most successful of the Cavalier commanders. His last action was at Lansdown Hill, near Bath, and there he terminated his gallant career by an heroic death." 2

"On a barton called Polterworgie, [in the parish of St. Kew] was a seat of the Bevilles, although at present nothing but a farm house remains." 3

They were descended from Le Sire de Beville from Beuville near Caen in Normandy. 4 The Sire married a Gwarnack heiress.

The Domesday Book of 1086 lists William de Beevilla as holding lands in Suffolk at that time and Matthew de Beyvill witnessed a charter of Henry II. (Mon. ii. 247). Richard de Bevill was seneschal of the Archbishop of York, 1301. 5

In those days the name became widely influential and populated throughout southern England in Essex at Wykes priory, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Gloucestershire was known in eleven different counties undertook a variety of spellings.

Early History of the Bevil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bevil research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1075, 1165, 1179, 1286, 1301, 1316, 1317, 1348, 1350, 1381, 1390, 1430, 1432, 1434, 1480, 1487, 1510, 1511, 1517, 1533 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Bevil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bevil Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Bevill, Beville, Bevile, Bevell, Bevel, Bevil, Beavil, Beavill, Beaville, Biville, Buiville, Buivill, Boiville, Boisville, Boville, Boyville, Belville, Bovile and many more.

Early Notables of the Bevil family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Richard de Bevill who became seneschal to the Archbishop of York in 1301
One lineage includes: Sir Richard de Welles Bevill (c. 1286-1316); Robert de Beyvll (de Beville) (1317-1348); John de Beyville (c. 1350-1432); Thomas Beville, de Beville (c. 1390-1434); William Bevill...

Migration of the Bevil family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Bevil or a variant listed above: Edward Bevill, Robert Bevill, Noah Bevill, and James Bevill who all arrived in South Carolina between the years 1670 and 1684; John Bevill, a servant sent to Virginia in 1676.

Contemporary Notables of the name Bevil (post 1700) +

Brian Scott Bevil (b. 1971), American former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals (1996-1998)
Louis Eugene "Lou" Bevil (1922-1973), born Louis Eugene Bevilacqua, American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Washington Senators in the 1942 season
Bevil Mabey, English founder of the Mabey Group, a British-based group of engineering companies in 1923

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)